10 Weird Times Star Trek Characters Changed Divisions

Full disclosure - Tapestry remains one of this writer’s favourite episodes, for a multitude of reasons. The interplay between Picard and Q, as well as the return of the monster maroon uniforms (though again, those aren’t the focus of this list). With the exception of a scene between Picard and Batanides which was as inappropriate when it aired as it is now, it is close to a flawless episode.

Ah, why do the good ones always have to have the most glaring issues?

Anyway.

Tapestry is Star Trek’s take on It’s A Wonderful Life, though Q probably doesn’t get his wings at the end of this one. Picard is killed in the opening scene (spoiler!) but rather than disappear into the great beyond, he finds himself face to face with Q. The episode looks like it’s going to take a comedic turn from here, whereas its actually quite the opposite.

Q offers him the chance to change the events of his life that led him to his fateful day, so Picard acquiesces - with dire consequences. After foiling a Nausicaan attack that originally cost him his heart, Picard finds himself back on the Enterprise - as a lieutenant, wearing blue.

One might think us biased against the colour, but everything about this is wrong. The entire point of the episode is to show that, despite the mistakes we feel that we make along the way, we are the sum of our experiences. While there would be nothing wrong with a career in sciences - had he chosen it - Picard is faced with a life wherein he took no chances, and thus never pushed himself to his potential. Having known a life where he at least did what he felt was his best, even one that led to his early death, Picard couldn’t stomach a life of what ifs and wherefores.

He asks Q to change things back to the way that they were, something that Q, in his infinite wisdom, knows to be best. After all - when a god says you look good in red, maybe take their word for it.